Shannon Murphy

Lesson Plan: 11/4/15

English 9

Name of Lesson: A Raisin in the Sun Literary Elements/Devices Analysis

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6
Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness
level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a
word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Objective:
Students will be able to analyze important literary elements/devices that Hansberry develops
throughout the play by participating in a jigsaw activity and citing five pieces of relevant
textual evidence.

Essential Question:
1. How does Hansberry’s use of important literary elements/devices help to develop
underlying themes of the play?

Instructional Strategies:
Activator
Guided Instruction
Jigsaw Activity
Whole-class Discussion
Summarizer (Exit Question)

Materials/Technology Integration:
SMART Board File
SMART Board Interactive Activity
Literary Elements Entrance Slip
Literary Elements Handout
A Raisin in the Sun Books
Procedures:
Desks will be placed in small groups prior to the start of class, and students will find their groups by looking
for their names on the list on each table.

Activator:
Literary Elements/Devices Matching Activity! (Students will complete this activity on their
entrance slip; students will be called on to complete examples on the SMART Board as well).

Students will complete the literary elements entrance slip, which will require them to match
each literary element with its correct definition. This will appeal to students’ prior knowledge
of literary elements and enable them to review domain-specific terms.

Guided and Independent Practice:

1. After students complete the activator, the class will check students’ answers on the
SMART Board and discuss the literary elements and their definitions for review.
2. I will distribute the literary elements handout and explain the jigsaw activity that
students will be participating in:
Each student’s current group will be his/her home base. When I
assign each student a number corresponding to a new group, each student
will move to that group to analyze one specific literary element. It will be
each student’s responsibility to become an expert on his/her literary element
so that he/she will be able to explain the analysis to the home base. Once I
instruct students to move to their new groups, they will have approximately
10 minutes to analyze the assigned literary element according to the
guidelines on their handout. Each group will be required to cite textual
evidence in their findings. Once I call time, students will proceed back to
their home base groups. Once they return, they will have approximately 10-
15 minutes to share their findings with the rest of the group. Group
members must copy down the notes from their peers during discussion.
3. I will also explain the green/yellow/red cup activity, which will allow students to
actively assess their own learning throughout the jigsaw activity. If students are
working on the task without encountering any problems, they will display the yellow
cup to indicate they are progressing smoothly. If students are stuck and need
assistance from the teacher, they will display the red cup. Once students have
completed the task, and they are on to discussing their findings, they will display the
green cup, indicating that they are good to go.
4. If time permits, each group will be called on to share their findings for one particular
literary element.

Summarizer (Exit Question):

How do these literary elements/devices work together to develop a major theme of the play?
What theme do you believe has been established by the end of A Raisin in the Sun?

(This question will enable students to think about their analysis of each literary
element/device, and it will initiate students’ thinking for the next day’s lesson in which they
will analyze the themes of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun.)
Assessment:
I will be able to assess students’ understanding of the use of important literary elements and
devices throughout the play by circulating during the jigsaw activity as well as by collecting
students’ literary elements handouts and answers to the exit question.